All adults have a responsibility to keep kids safe. However, as a childcare provider you have the unique role of seeing a child frequently outside of their home environment. This makes you more likely to notice changes that may indicate abuse. You are also legally responsible for reporting abuse. On the other hand, since you are working with really young children, warning signs might not be as observable and some behaviors may be innocent exploration. Your job is to balance healthy sexual development in young children with your primary responsibility of ensuring their safety.
It is natural to feel overwhelmed. Don’t let that stop you. If you take the time to be informed by reviewing this website and build skills through online training you will confidently be able to recognize, report and respond to child abuse and neglect.
This area has information on some topics specific to childcare providers. Click on the topics in each section found on the right to access more information. To find out more about the most common subjects, click on the links below.